Moscow, April 1 – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should withdraw his forces from the Donbas region, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.
“As we have stated, he must take responsibility and make this difficult decision. Doing so could save many lives,” Peskov said. “Most importantly, it would bring an end to the active phase of this conflict.”
However, the pause in the trilateral talks between Russia, the United States, and Ukraine is unrelated to the issue of Ukrainian armed forces in Donbas, Peskov added, according to Xinhua news agency.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defence Ministry said that Russian forces have taken full control of the Luhansk region, adding that settlements including Verkhnyaya Pisarevka in the Kharkiv region and Boykovo in the Zaporizhzhia region have also been brought under full control.
On Tuesday, Peskov stated that Russia does not accept a temporary truce in the conflict in Ukraine and instead calls for lasting peace.
In response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's proposal for an Easter ceasefire on Monday, Peskov said that Zelensky's proposal did not constitute a clear initiative, noting that Zelensky should immediately pursue a durable peace settlement rather than a ceasefire, as the price of peace for Ukraine will only grow over time.
“We reiterate that Zelensky must take responsibility and make the appropriate decision so that we achieve peace, not just a truce,” Peskov said at a news briefing.
This year, Orthodox Easter will be celebrated in Ukraine and Russia on April 12.
The Kremlin spokesman also stated that Russia will take corresponding measures if it is confirmed that European Union (EU) member States are allowing Ukraine to use their airspace to launch drone attacks against Russian targets.
Peskov made the remarks when addressing reports that Baltic nations have opened their skies to Ukrainian drones targeting Russian territory, specifically the Leningrad Region.
“If this is taking place, it will compel us to draw the appropriate conclusions and take corresponding measures,” Peskov told a press briefing.
Russia's air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 92 Ukrainian Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) between 11 pm Moscow time (2000 GMT) on Monday and 7 am (0400 GMT) on Tuesday, the Russian Defence Ministry said Tuesday.
In the Leningrad Region, three people, including two children, were injured, Governor Alexander Drozdenko said on social media. The injured received medical assistance at a hospital and did not require hospitalization.
In the past week, Ukrainian drones have repeatedly targeted sites in Russia's Leningrad Region, including multiple strikes on the port of Ust-Luga, a major Russian oil export terminal.